The present invention relates to a cable support for an automobile used for a conducting cable to be supported on a supporting member, such as a vehicle body, and more particularly, to a cable support for an automobile used to support a U-turn shaped folded portion of a cable.
A large number of cables are installed to an automobile for energization of various electric components. For these cables, routing is designed so as not to cause trouble in running or use of the automobile and the cables are positioned while being supported on a supporting member, such as a vehicle body.
Incidentally, the cables are subjected to vibrations and heat while the automobile is running. In such severe environments, it is necessary for the cables to be supported on the supporting member, such as a vehicle body, in a reliable manner.
To this end, there has been proposed a special cable support for a cable to be supported on the vehicle body. For example, JP-A-63-178713 discloses a cable support having a structure in which a protective sleeve is externally engaged to a cable and a fixing bracket wound around the protective sleeve is bolted to a vehicle body.
However, when a cable folded in a U-turn shape is installed, it is difficult for the folded portion to be supported on the supporting member in a reliable manner by the cable support described in JP-A-63-178713. More specifically, cables are routed in various manners and cables have straight portions and U-turn shaped folded portions. With the cable support described in JP-A-63-178713, however, there is no choice but to allow only one of the straight portions extending from the folded portion to be supported on the supporting member. This cable support therefore fails to prevent the other non-supported straight portion from undergoing displacement or deformation. Accordingly, interference with other members and damage caused by considerable deformation may possibly pose a problem.
When a cable folded in a U-turn shape is installed, the cable may be supported in the two straight portions extending from the folded portion using the cable supports individually. However, because two cable supports have to be attached, there arises a problem that a work becomes tedious and takes time. Moreover, because an attachment space is necessary for each of the two cable supports, there arises another problem that it is difficult to secure spaces in the supporting member, such as a vehicle body.